Japanese trading company, Itochu is to partner with Kyudenko on the development of a 21 MW solar station in Japan's prefecture of Saga. The station will sell solar power to Kyushu Electric Power Co. for 20 years.
Bloomberg reported that a venture set up by the two companies signed a loan agreement with the Bank of Fukuoka Ltd., Itochu said in a statement.
Itochu Corp, one of the leading sogo shosa, is engaging in domestic and overseas trading of various product, import/export, and business invesment in Japan and overseas.
Kyudenko Corp is a provider of facilities engineering services. The Company operates in two business segments. The Facilities Engineering segment is engaged in the design and construction of electric works. The Others segment is engaged in the sale of electrical work and air conditioning ductwork related materials and equipment.
PVTECH note that Itochu and Kyudenko will have equal 50% shares in the JV, to be named Saga Ouchi Solar. Kyudenko will carry out construction works at the 320,000 square-metre facility, which is to comprise more than 75,000 panels.
According to Renewable See News, Construction of the plant will begin this month, with operations set to start in April 2018, according to the statement. The station will sell solar power to Kyushu Electric Power Co. for 20 years.
Saga, Kyushu's smallest prefecture, is located on the northwest corner of the island, border by the Genkai Sea and the Tsushima Strait to the north and the Ariake Sea to the south. Saga's proximity to mainland Asia has made it an important gateway for transmission of culture and throughout Japanese history.
The advantage of the rosource not only sustainable for energy consumption but also indefinitey renewable, require little maintenance, and a silent producer of energy. On the other hand, the environmental impact is minimal as there are no CO2 emission during electricity generation, free fuel and no depletion risk.
The primary disadvantage is that it obviously cannot be created during the night. The power generated is also reduced during times of cloud cover. Many largescale solar farm combat this problem by having the panel on tower that can track the sun to keep the panel at optimal angles throughtout the day.
Solar power in Japan has been expanding since the late 1990s. The country is a leading manufacturer of photovoltaics. As world's fourth largest energy consumer, making solar power an important national project since the country's shift in policies after Fukushima in 2011 to solar energy.
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